PA
BUTLER UNIVERSITY
ALUMNI CONNECTION PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT MAGAZINE
SUMMER 2020
PROGRAM DIRECTOR’S WELCOME What a year 2020 is turning out to be. I hope that this newsletter finds each of you – the alumni and friends of the program – safe and healthy, and that the same is true for those you care about. These are some of the most challenging times we have experienced, as a healthcare system, as individuals, and as a society. The Butler University PA Program is committed to supporting those that are affected by the multiple crises that confront us this year: the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruptions, and civil unrest resulting from decades of racial injustice. The PA Program has been busy adapting to the ever-shifting circumstances this year, and I have been incredibly proud of the quality training that our faculty and staff have continued to deliver while shifting to virtual PA training. Some highlights include: • Sending care packages full of physical examination and procedures supplies to students to complete their didactic hands-on training. • Overcoming widespread closures of clinical sites to get the Class of 2020 to completion within one month of their original graduation date with 74 of 74 passing the boards on their first attempt. • Welcoming a new PA class of 75 students to an all-online first term, including a Virtual Orientation. I will close by asking for your help in meeting these challenges. We have wonderful students and a great team here at Butler, but you are our greatest resource. You represent the Program in your communities, clinics, and hospitals, and we would not be what we are without you. If you can help us educate our students by serving as a preceptor in these chaotic times – it will make it easier for our bright PAs in training to graduate on time and get out there and meet the needs of patients and communities. Please consider lending a hand to the program, every bit of support, no matter how small, helps us continue our mission of training the best PAs! Thank you for reading, and for being such a tremendous group of supporters. Please feel free to reach out if you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns. Sincerely,
Christopher Roman, PA-C Program Director Butler University PA Program
PA
VOLUME V
BUTLER UNIVERSITY
ALUMNI CONNECTION
2020
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT MAGAZINE
page 4 CLASS of 2000 HIGHLIGHTS
page 6 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
page 9 A DAY in the LIFE
page 10 FACULTY/STAFF UPDATES
page 12 PRECEPTOR PROFILE: KEVIN BOGENSCHUTZ
page 13 FACULTY, ALUMNI, and STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
page 14 CONGRATULATIONS CLASS of 2020
Class of
HIGHLIGHTS It is always exciting to hear from our PA alumni. We are pleased to highlight a few graduates of the Class of 2000. EMILY (HARTER) KRIECH, PA-C Three months after graduation, I married then moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and found a job in general neurology. My husband and I enjoyed exploring Utah and the west, going to many national parks, climbing, snow skiing, hiking, cycling, etc., as you do when out west. We had both of our kids in Utah, then felt it was time to move home as our son was about to start kindergarten. In July 2010, we moved back to my hometown, Brownsburg, IN, where I did urogynecology for about 18 months until I found my way back to my career-home of neurology with JWM Neurology. I have been with them since May 2012 working outpatient. When I started, I was only the second APP in the practice. Now there are 16 of us! We will have a sophomore in high school (son) and a 7th grader (daughter) this fall. They keep us busy with activities, but as a family, we enjoy coming back to Butler at the end of June each year to ride and support 24Foundation. We also love to travel and went to London in early February, Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas in Oct 2019. It’s hard to believe we graduated from college 20 years ago.
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KATHY BUCHANAN, PA-C Since graduating in May of 2000, I have worked as a PA in emergency medicine and family practice and have been a preceptor and educator. My career began at Winona Hospital in Indianapolis working both ER and occupational health. I was then employed by Riverview Hospital in Noblesville, IN working in their ER. During this time, I also had the opportunity to teach in the Medical Assistant program at Ivy Tech and later asked to become the Medical Director of the program. Since I lived on the Southside of Indy, I found employment in Shelbyville at Major Hospital in their ED where I was able to precept Butler PA students. Also during this time, I earned my Master of Physician Assistant from the University of Nebraska. My next career step took me into primary care for Major Hospital and I am currently working part-time for IU Health Physicians (primary care) on Indy’s Southside, planning for my retirement..... someday. My husband Andy and I enjoy traveling, biking, and attending sporting events, Colts, Pacers, and Bulldogs!
WE’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM OTHER PA GRADS! What are you doing now? Contact us at PAprogram@butler.edu.
TYSON SHELTON, PA-C After graduating from Butler, I accepted a Urology position in a small town in North Carolina. The work experience was valuable, but my dream of working in family practice became a reality in Fayetteville, North Carolina. While there, I became a preceptor for a local PA program and enjoyed teaching students. After several years, I began working as a Federal Employee on Fort Bragg, providing care for the 3rd Special Forces Group and their families. At this clinic, I continued my preceptor role for Army Rangers, Green Berets, and Navy Seals participating in their SOCM (Special Operations Combat Medical) training. After ten years, I was recruited to become part of the Fort Bragg Medical Evaluation Board. My current position determines if a Soldier’s medical condition meets retention standards or requires a medical separation from the military. With Fort Bragg being such a large Army base, there are no shortages of cases. On a personal level, I married my wife during the first year of PA school and we are still happily married and have two children. One child will be a junior at the University of North Carolina and the other will be a senior in high school. You never really know how your life will turn out, but I have Butler University’s PA program to thank for contributing to this journey.
JENNIFER (CLAYTON) GUTHRIE, PA-C You may recognize her as your Class of 2000 peer, but we know her as Professor Guthrie. After beginning her career in family medicine, she accepted a full-time faculty position teaching in the Butler University PA Program (January 2012), completed her degree Masters of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (May 2014), and currently serves as the Director of Butler PA Experiential Education. Since 2000, Jennifer has continued to see patients at least one day a week at Schneck Family Care in Seymour, IN. She married her high school sweetheart, Joe Guthrie, in 1999 and they have been blessed with two wonderful children, Sydnee, age 17 years, and Clayton, age 15 years. When they are not traveling to take part in their dance and cross country events, Jennifer and her family, and two chocolate labs, reside in Columbus, IN.
DEBORAH ROBINSON, PA-C Since graduation, I spent some time in radiology and gastroenterology, but the majority of clinical practice was at Ortho Indy, working in orthopedic surgery subspecialties that included trauma, spine, and total joint program delivery. My trauma surgery background served me well during my medical mission trip to Haiti in the aftermath of the Great Earthquake of 2010, an experience I will always remember. In 2013, I accompanied my husband, Dave, to Shenzhen, China. Foreigners were not allowed to work in medicine; however, I maintained my certification and CME requirements while taking in a new culture, language, and traveling throughout Southeast Asia. Four years later, we returned and settled in Grand Rapids, MI, to be closer to family. We enjoy being near our grandchildren and the proximity of “the big lake” and all that Pure Michigan has to offer. For the past two years, I have been working for a private practice managing acute and chronic conditions of residents in assisted living, skilled nursing, and subacute rehab facilities. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. I was not psychologically prepared to retire and still wanted to help the practice in a safe and productive way, so I have been on-line charting from home prn and gearing up for the telemedicine support in a nearby rural hospital. The most rewarding aspects of my career have been the opportunity for lifelong learning, applying the crossover value of past experiences, and mentoring new grads.
LACY (HOLLOWAY) CRAFTON, PA-C After graduating from Butler in 2000, I worked for a general surgeon in Danville, IN for a year and a half. Then in 2002, I switched over to orthopedics and worked for the same orthopedic surgeon on the west side of Indianapolis for 15 years until he retired three years ago. Since then, I have been working in an orthopedic urgent care in Indianapolis. I am currently enrolled in the DMS program at Butler and I am excited to be back!
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ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
BUTLER PA GRADUATE SERVES in FRONTLINE COVID-19 ISOLATION UNIT- Manhattan, NY WHAT WAS IT LIKE? During the first two weeks, you are sort of lost. Everyone is a “new provider”; nobody knows what to expect, what meds to try. We all had anxiety mixed with a healthy dose of fear. The first thing I noticed was the serious silence. Over time, that silence turned into a cacophony of alarms, consults, rapid response calls, and the daily chatter that fills every workspace. Within just a few weeks, the unprecedented had become normal.
WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR FIRST MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM THE CRISIS? A patient got put on a BiPAP machine and because there were not enough people to handle all of the machines in use, I got a quick tutorial on how to assist him with eating and drinking. I took off his BiPAP mask, placed him on a non-rebreather and cannula, and watched his oxygen level plummet from 93% to the seventies. He stabilized to the mid-80s and was allowed to snack. Fifteen minutes of freedom from that terribly uncomfortable mask! We were careful not to let him eat a full meal as
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there’s an aspiration risk of eating when on BiPAP. As we transitioned him back to the BiPAP, we warned him that his O2 saturation would drop. “Ignore the alarms,” we told him. “This is normal.” Despite our warnings, his eyes filled with fear as the alarms rang. That look of fear, that’s something that will always stick with me. We secured the mask against his face and his oxygen levels stabilized, as did my own blood pressure.
HOW DID YOU GROW PROFESSIONALLY IN THE TWO MONTHS YOU SPENT CARING FOR PATIENTS ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIS COVID PANDEMIC? In the first two weeks you are thinking, can I do this? I spent two consecutive months on the unit, but new teams would transfer in every two weeks. My prolonged assignment lent a degree of continuity and stability to the service. Within a few weeks, I had attendings ask “In your medical opinion, what would you do…”. By no means am I saying that I knew more than my attending, but at that moment, I had more experience than my attending, treating COVID patients.
REGARDING YOUR BEING PUT BACK ON YOUR REGULAR DUTY, IF GIVEN THE OPTION TO CONTINUE WORKING IN THE COVID UNIT LONGER, WOULD YOU HAVE DONE SO? If given the opportunity, yes, I would have extended my assignment. The work was intense and draining but fascinating. There’s a rush that goes with working on the front line of a mysterious disease. Every day, we were learning something new, either through scientific papers or first-hand experience. Additionally, the shifts created an incredible sense of camaraderie. Nurses, attending physicians, janitors, floor managers, we were
starved of resources, blindsided daily with regulations, surrounded by a mysterious disease. Still, we were all in it together, and we persevered by relying on each other. It was a powerful experience. All that said, I’d prefer it if none of us had to go through it again!
DID YOU EVER TEST POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS? No! And antibody negative! Two months swimming in the virus and still negative! Shout out to the Butler faculty for teaching proper PPE don and doff!
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The PA-1 class was able to complete their OSCEs, OSATs, and lab finals using hand-packed lab kits, Zoom, and a lot of creativity! These kits that were passed out or mailed to students included items for splinting, simulating the removal of foreign objects, practicing proper operating room behavior, an OB/GYN kit, and a mock sterile suture kit. A true testament to the faculty’s desire to accomplish the required instruction and the student’s unwavering commitment to learn the material and meet the course requirements from afar before beginning clinical rotations. Bravo! * Please note the photos were taken prior to CDC guidelines regarding the use of face masks.
SUPPORT THE PA PROGRAM TODAY
Make a lasting contribution to Butler University Physician Assistant (PA) students with a financial gift to the program. Your gift will support students through ongoing improvements to our academic programs and resources.
TO DONATE ONLINE
Go to butler.edu/gifts and click on “Give to Butler.” Fill in the form using “Select one or more designation(s),” and then select “Support a different area.” Importantly, in the Notes section, indicate that your gift is for “PA Program Gift Fund.” TO DONATE BY CHECK
Make your check payable to Butler University, indicating on the memo line that the gift is for “PA Program Gift Fund.” Mail to: Butler University • University Advancement • Jordan Hall • 4600 Sunset Avenue • Indianapolis, IN 46208
BECAUSE OF YOU, WE ARE BU.
A DAY IN THE LIFE:
WITH EMORY MANGAN, PA-C APRIL 23, 2020
This world pandemic is bringing out the best in people. For my final clinical rotation as a Butler PA student, I was placed on a hospitalist service. Every patient that was admitted was tested for COVID-19. I saw patients whose tests were negative or whose tests were still pending but presumed negative. Even though the patients I saw were most likely COVID-19 negative, their inpatient experience was markedly different. The differences could be seen and felt on every level:
HOMETOWN:
Kokomo, Indiana
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE:
Biochemistry
PRE-COVID-19
POST-COVID-19
I typically wear business casual dress with a lab coat. Only in select patient rooms (patients with influenza, C. diff, etc.) would I don a mask, gown, or gloves.
I wear scrubs so I can wash them at the end of every day. Surgical masks and caps are required in the hallways. In every patient room we wear an N-95 mask, gown, gloves, and a face shield.
When visiting a patient in the ER, I can walk right into their room and have a face-to-face conversation. I can smile at them and place them at ease while laying a hand on their shoulder.
A large portion of the patients I see are elderly and hard of hearing. Taking a history and communicating with them is difficult. They struggle to hear me through my mask and cannot read my lips. Many of them are in pain and scared. Holding someone’s hand with a glove on is not quite the same.
I enjoy interactions I have with patients’ family members. They often give answers the patients are unable to provide themselves. They give comfort, a sense of familiarity to the patients, and can help with treatment plan decisions.
I note an increase in confusion in elderly patients without the familiar face of a family member. I wish I could clarify the patient’s answers to my questions with a family member. I see the difficulty family members have in making treatment decisions without being able to come in and see the patient’s condition. I see healthcare workers stepping up and giving the comfort that family normally provides.
I see the hierarchy in medicine which often reflects the differences in title and levels of training and experience.
I witness hospital employees from every department share a mutual appreciation for the skill/function that each individual brings to the table. I see incredible teamwork coming from a place of humility where suggestions are invited and valued. Everyone is fully seen for their contribution toward making the healthcare world go-round.
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FACULTY/STAFF FACULT Y RECOGNITION
JENNIFER SNYDER PH.D., PA-C, DFAAPA
Associate Dean - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dr. Jennifer Snyder assumed the position of Associate Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) on June 1, 2020. Dr. Snyder has served the College for over 20 years as a faculty member/administrator and is the founding Chair and Program Director of the Doctor of Medical Science Program. She continues to serve as a DMS faculty member. Dr. Snyder has spent most of her teaching career within the physician assistant program being a faculty to over 800 graduates of the Butler University program. Dr. Snyder served as the President of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) in 2016. She was awarded the 2019 PAEA Master Faculty of the Year Award and the 2011 President’s Award by the Student Academy of American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). Dr. Snyder is a Distinguished Fellow of the AAPA.
WELCOME OUR NEW MEDICAL DIRECTOR, JESSICA MCCAIN, DO Michael Pauszek, MD, has graciously served as the PA program’s Medical Director for the last six years. Since 2003, he has made an indelible impact on students through his tireless service as a clinical preceptor, practical advice as a life-mentor, and feedback as a “career coach,” helping students think through various career paths best suited to both their strengths and passions. He has been a selfless supporter of every member of the program, and while he has moved on from his service as the program’s Medical Director, we are thrilled to have his continued support as a clinical preceptor. After serving the students of Butler’s PA Program for six years, Dr. Michael Pauszek has turned the Medical Director reins over to his colleague Jessica McCain, DO. “I became interested in the Butler PA program after I was invited by Mike Pauszek to precept students at Major Hospital in July 2018. In my first month, I realized how rewarding it is to watch PA students make connections between the book-knowledge gained in the first year and the practical aspects of assessing and caring for patients at the bedside in the second year. They become more skilled, adept, and independent day to day in a given month, and it is a privilege to be part of that process.” “I have always been interested in teaching and how people learn. My bachelor’s degree is in secondary education. I followed my interest in the sciences and later ended up in medical school, so the opportunity to serve as the medical director and to work with students is an incredible chance to combine my passion for medicine with my early interest in teaching. Dr. McCain attended Indiana University then Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, is board-certified in Internal Medicine and practices Hospitalist Medicine at Major Hospital in Shelbyville, Indiana. Dr. McCain lives with her husband Gabe, their two boys, Conner 4 and Elliott 3. In their free time, they love being outside, whether at one of the great parks in central Indiana or her parent’s farm in Shelby County.
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JENNIFER GUTHRIE, PA-C Associate Professor
Director of Experiential Education Jennifer Guthrie was promoted to Associate Professor in May, 2020. Professor Guthrie has been an outstanding teacher and mentor to hundreds of PA students since joining the Butler faculty in 2012, and we are proud to congratulate her on this accomplishment!
LINDA SEKHON, DHSC, PA-C
Program Director and Department Chair - Doctor of Medical Science Dr. Linda Sekhon joined Butler University on July 1, 2020, as Department Chair and Program Director of the Doctor of Medical Science Program. Dr. Sekhon was the founding Chair of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at High Point University in North Carolina. A PA educator since 1996, Dr. Sekhon currently serves as a Director at Large on the PAEA Board of Directors. In 2009, she received the AAPA Leadership Excellence in Community Volunteer Service Award. In 2012, she received the Michael J. Habeck Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants (PSPA) and the AAPA Paragon Publishing Award for an article on rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Sekhon is a Distinguished Fellow of the AAPA.
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PRECEPTORS PRECEPTOR PROFILE
KEVIN BOGENSCHUTZ, PA-C ’17 Clinical Director of Operations at Pike Medical Consultants
PROVIDING PATIENT CARE AND STUDENT INSTRUCTION IN THIS NEW AND UNCERTAIN TIME Butler Instructional Faculty, Kevin Bogenschutz, PA-C, ’17 when asked about the challenges of providing patient care and student instruction in this new and uncertain time, shared how he and his colleagues at Pike Medical Consultants are making it happen. “Our clinic was aggressive early on in screening patients with respiratory complaints. However, we knew we needed to find a way to continue to provide care to our patients with chronic conditions, so we switched to Telemed visits. Telemed, previously occurred maybe 4-5 times per month, became the new norm.” He went on to say, “Telemed was perfect for our patients with COPD or other pulmonary conditions, those at high risk for going out and participating in office visits. We never wavered from our mission to serve the community and take care of those in need.” When Pike resumed seeing patients with respiratory complaints, “Things were changing every few days to a week, so we needed to keep retooling. We began by following the federal protocol of asking the designated screener questions; all medical staff and patients wore masks; then, we started expanding our screening protocol and implemented a safe system for the waiting room by staggering appointments, etc.” In terms of student learners, how did they best fit into this “new norm”? “When everything hit, we felt it best to take a short pause so that we could think through the best way to provide students with clinical involvement in a safe way. We were intent on exposing them to healthcare delivery during these COVIDtimes while at the same time, reducing their exposure to the virus.” When asked what that looked like, Kevin explained that initially, students had access to most telemed encounters, but as of June, they were back in clinic seeing about 80% of the patients. “We allow them to go in and see the patient first, then staff with us to develop an assessment and plan. Besides students having their temperature checked daily, wearing a mask and learning the art of telemedicine, it is a normal-ish rotation. What is essential for students to learn is not letting the additional PPE or telemedicine sacrifice your quality of care.”
Kevin is the Clinical Director of Operations at Pike Medical Consultants, Indianapolis, and works alongside Butler PA Program alumni Michelle (Stuttle) Bowen ‘09, Chase Keirn ‘17, and Maddie (Snyder) Klinger ‘18.
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FACULT Y, ALUMNI, and STUDENT PUBLICATIONS: Roman C. Book Review. The Journal of Physician Assistant Education. 2020;31(2):95. doi:10.1097/jpa.0000000000000297 Smith KA, Frey J, Mckenzie A, Hornsby K, Strobel J. The use of His bundle pacing for the treatment of painful left bundle branch block syndrome. Clinical Case Reports. 2020. doi:10.1002/ccr3.2793
BECOME A PRECEPTOR
PRECEPTING is a WAY of: Participating in the training of future physician assistants Giving back to the PA profession Supporting the Butler University PA Program Keeping abreast of current medications and treatment guidelines Attaining personal satisfaction and professional growth as a healthcare professional
DO YOU HAVE THE DESIRE TO BE A CLINICAL PRECEPTOR? Fill out our Preceptor Affiliation Form butler.edu/physician-assistant/preceptorinformation. Or, contact Karen Corby, kjfuller@butler.edu, 317-940-9507.
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CONGRATULATIONS
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CLASS of 2020 Adams, Joshua
Miller, Chloe
Allbritton, Jack
Monhollen, Sara
Barnes, Maria
OHara, Megan
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
Bowen, Taylor
Osborn, Mark
Brown, Sophie
Pate, Katherine
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Patel, Twinkle
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Purlee, Katlin
Downes, Kelly
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Reynolds, Megan
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Riess, Amy
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CURRENT EMPLOYER
Greeff, Kelsey
Schrump, Alisa
Grote, Stephen
Schulze, Jamie
EMAIL ADDRESS
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YOUR NEWS (professional and personal)
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alumni. Please help us keep you current on what is new in our program by sharing the following information with us at PAProgram@butler.edu.
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DOCTOR of MEDICAL SCIENCE
For more information about the Doctor of Medical Science program, go to: www.butler.edu/dms